Cos produced a great performance in their last match of the season to lose by the odd goal in a game they dominated for 60 minutes and finished with only 9 men due to injuries.

Cos were missing several players including Milne, Gray, Chris Bradley, Leighton, Sawdon, Flounders, Jamie Fleming and Morrison but were still able to put out a decent side including veteran Rob Coulson returning after a 16 month lay off.

The match started with Cos pushing forward and they forced high flying Hartlepool FC into some last ditch defending, but with a re-jigged forward line, they were not able to put pressure on the goal.

The Cos defence looked solid, with Coulson and Temple quickly getting an understanding going, and it was unfortunate when they fell behind to Hartlepools first attack. A free kick was awarded after a foul on Herring, but the referee somehow gave it the other way. The ball was played into the box and no one could anything about Craig Adairs finish.

Another poor decision saw Cos penalised and when the ball was crossed in to the Cos right, two Hartlepool players had been left unmarked to power the ball home.

The rest of the second half saw Cos get on top, Butterfield slowly taking over the midfield and the back four limiting the lively Hartlepool forwards. Both full backs, Herring and Cornforth and Colin Temple were able to push forward, but time and time again Cos were penalised for trivial offences.

When Cos did get forward, they lacked composure with Sutheran not making the most of the chances that fell his way. Ingledew made several probing runs, but couldn’t get the goal his efforts this season have deserved.

Cos brought on Bennett for Archer, with Sutheran going upfront and Tim Fleming, who was having a superb game going on the right. This seemed to give Cos more shape and they pressed forward, and 51 minutes even got a free kick.

Bennett made his presence felt, with a great free kick and a corner, which had the Hartlepool defence at full stretch.

A second substitution saw Walton replace Sutheran, with Walton going to right back and the venerable Cornforth going up front, showing an electric turn of pace to reach the forward line.

Within a minute Cos scored, thanks to a great move finished off superbly by Butterfield who drove the ball into the roof of the net. The joy was short lived as lack of concentration allowed Hartlepool to score a simple goal.

Temple quickly replied for Cos forcing the ball home from a corner, but as so often happened this season luck ran out. The pressure Cos were applying was all too frequently ended with a disputed free kick, on one occasion a handball where the ball was virtually carried five yards was missed.

More bad luck followed when Herring who had controlled the left went off with two broken metatarsals, no free kick awarded off course and then Bennett went off with a twisted ankle.

Despite only having nine men, Cos had a great chance to equalise, but the ball was hit inches over the bar from close range. In the end it was a mountain too high as Cos had to accept their fifth defeat by a single goal.

Cos will be pleased with the improved performance and will have to build on this so they can push for honours next season. There may be a new strip as the current strip seems to have “shrunk” somewhat over a season where twice as many goals have been conceded in the 2nd half as the 1st half.